Awesome Group Costume Idea: Mannequin Shenanigans

This costume idea takes creepy to a whole new level! It’s easy, unique, inexpensive, and incredibly effective. Each costume cost only around $10. The most important component of this costume is the face mask. I used 3 white molded, adult masks found at a craft store and bought inexpensive cream colored, tan, orange, and red craft paints. Before painting the mask, make sure that you mix each of the colors to match your skin tone (this may take a little experimenting). Once you are finished mixing the paint, use a small foam brush to paint even strokes of the flesh tone color over the entire mask. One coat worked for my masks but some touch-ups were needed. After the base coat of the flesh tone is COMPLETELY dry, use the red paint to carefully brush on the lip color. Use a small paint brush to paint the lips. You should be able to see the lip contours on the mask. For this step, I used 3 different shades: I painted one mask with red lips, mixed white and red paint to brush on pink lips, and finally, I used a darker tan color for the man’s lips. Make sure that the tan color used for the man’s mask is only one or two shades darker than the original skin tone.

After painting the lips, locate the “brow line” on the mask. For this step, I used a brown sharpie to draw two straight eyebrows for the women’s masks and drew individual “hairs” for the man’s eyebrows. Now, use a fine-point black sharpie to outline each eye on the mask. I used a more exaggerated “eyeliner” look for the women’s masks. Next, use the fine-tip sharpie to carefully draw a mustache on the man’s mask- this is optional! I was aiming for a 1950s look when creating these costumes, so I drew a pencil mustache on the man’s mask.

Now that you’re finished creating the mask(s), start looking for clothing that will fit the era you are imitating. I wore an old navy suit to complete the look, but the other two costumes were found at a thrift store. For the man’s costume, we also found an old $1 golf club to add a little flair.

What gave this costume a “plastic appearance” were women’s shear knee-highs- I purchased these at Wal-Mart. We pulled the knee-highs over each arm and under both sleeves. Additionally, my friend and I also wore women’s support hose to give our legs a plastic look- men can wear long pants in place of hose. For this costume, any shoes will do! However, you may want to make sure they’re comfortable since you’ll be standing in still for long periods of time.

Finally, find a pair of sunglasses that will work with your costume. A darker tint is preferable so people can’t see your eyes. Also, purchase head scarves or bandanas to go over the edge of your mask, under your chin, and over your ears. For men, any hat will do as long as it covers the top edge of the mask. To complete the costume, I created simple price tags cut out of a manila file folder and used string and a safety pin to attach them to the outfits. I also put one on the accessories and on the nose bridge of the sunglasses.

This costume is extremely effective if you select a location with a lot of foot traffic and preferably, a window large enough for you to stand in. We had a blast walking around in our mannequin costumes. Since we’re all college students, we went to the student center and stood still in the large glass windows facing the sidewalk. We had several people pose with us as their friends took pictures from outside. When we finally moved, they couldn’t believe we weren’t mannequins! Standing still for long periods of time takes some practice, but it is well worth the effort because of the reactions you’ll get! If you’re not planning on walking to multiple locations, cutting a simple “stand” from a piece of foam or plywood would be a great addition to this costume. This was one of the best Halloweens we’ve had- everyone at the Halloween party we attended couldn’t believe how “fake” we looked! The best part of the evening was walking around campus and freezing to see people’s reactions- we had too much fun creeping out friends and students. This worked very well for a group costume- have fun coming up with your own variations of this idea!